Restrooms are places where bacteria, viruses and other disease-producing substances tend to congregate. In public bathrooms, the problem is particularly accentuated because these facilities are designed to dispose of large volumes of human waste, which contains up to thirty percent bacteria. It is not unusual to find disease causing organisms on a variety of surfaces in a public bathroom, e.g., toilet seats, urinal and commode flush handles, faucet handles, door knobs and push plates, etc. Urine, feces and other body wastes which contain [bacteria, viruses, etc. can] be left on such surfaces. Various diseases carried by fecal-borne bacteria, such as salmonella and shigella, pose a threat of diahrrea and other potentially severe intestinal disorders. These germs are excreted in the feces of an infected person and, through hand transmission, can be deposited on such surfaces. If a public restroom user touches such contaminated surfaces(s) and puts his hand(s) in his mouth or touches and eats food before thoroughly washing his hands, he may contract the disease. Cold and flu viruses can also be deposited on various bathroom surfaces through hand transmission. These germs tend to thrive on door knobs and faucet handles. Unlike salmonella and shigella, which must usually be consumed to do damage, cold and flu viruses can infect persons who touch their contaminated hands to their eyes, nose or mouth. Other bacteria types found in public restrooms include those of the micrococcaceae family (which can cause boils, pimples, and other symptoms of staph infections), streptococceae (strep throat and pneumonia), pseudomonadaceae (urinary tract infections), and enterbacteria (responsible for typhoid fever as well as salmonella and shigella). The virus which causes hepatitis A is another danger.
Germs, especially fecal bacteria, can also be shot into the air when a toilet flushes. The resultant spray can land on the toilet seat, as far away as the sink and can settle on surfaces throughout the bathroom.
The present invention enables and indeed even requires, anyone touching the areas to which the disinfectant tape of this invention has been applied to disinfect (sterilize) at least that portion of their hands which is in contact with them by simply touching same.
Numerous problems in the spread of communicable disease are encountered in hospitals where sick people congregate. It is a well known fact that about 5% or more of patients entering hospitals without infection contract infection, e.g. staphlyococcus, streptococcus, etc., or diseases while in the hospital. Despite hospital regulations requiring nurses, doctors and other hospital personnel who treat or care for patients to wash and disinfect their hands after treating one patient and before treating another, this practice is often ignored. Thus the use of the disinfectant (sterilizing) tapes of this invention on hospital room door plates and door knobs results in automatic effective disinfection of the hand(s) of these medical professionals, viz., without any conscious effort on their part, as they proceed from patient to patient.
Various attempts have been made in prior art patents to sanitize door knobs. U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,746 issued to R. Y. Millar is directed to an ultra-violet light built into a door knob or door handle to irradiate the handle with ultra-violet light.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,783,097 issued to B. Polcary is directed to a hollow door knob carrying a disinfectant in its interior and having perforations distributed over its shell for the escape of minute portions of the disinfectant from the inside portion of the knob to the outside surface thereof. The disinfectant is made in the form of round balls or pills which tumble about inside the knob as it is rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,491,780 issued to C. P. Abbott is directed to a hollow door knob equipped with provision for receiving and holding a quantity of crystalline substance in a more or less comminuted form, adapted to slowly and gradually give off a vapor or mist capable of disinfecting and sterilizing the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,527,955 issued to R. Pagel reveals door push plates or knobs containing either a cavity within the door stile covered by a push plate filled with a fluid absorbing sponge of cellulosic material which is impregnated with a slowly evaporating disinfectant, or a hollow door knob provided with such material for the purpose of disinfecting same. The hollow door knob contains a plurality of openings in its surface to permit the escape of the disinfectant fluid or vapor.